ARP Avatar
Avatar | |
---|---|
ARP Avatar | |
Manufacturer | ARP Instruments, Inc. |
Dates | 1977 |
Technical specifications | |
Polyphony | Monophonic |
Timbrality | Monotimbral |
Oscillator | 2 |
LFO | Sine, Square |
Synthesis type | Analog Subtractive |
Attenuator | ADSR, AR |
Storage memory | none |
Effects | 1 |
Input/output | |
Keyboard | none |
External control | CV/Gate |
The ARP Avatar was a guitar-controlled synthesizer (guitar synthesizer), manufactured by ARP Instruments, Inc. beginning in 1977. While innovative, being one of the first commercial guitar-controlled synthesizers, it was a commercial flop for ARP, and is widely blamed for causing the financial collapse of the company.
Nearly $4 million was spent in the first year on production and R&D for the Avatar, and the $3,000 machine sold only about $1 million worth of units over its lifespan. Guitarists were not quick to adopt the new technology, mostly due to the unit's price and technical eccentricities. The Avatar, however, did find a few advocates and paved the way for more successful guitar synthesizers. Because of its architecture - essentially an ARP Odyssey with a 6-way "fuzzbox" distortion effect - it has regained a little stature among collectors as a standalone synthesizer.
External links
- ARP Avatar Entry on Sonicstate.
- The Rise and Fall of ARP Instruments (article from April 1983, Keyboard Magazine)
- ARP Avatar at VintageSynth.com